• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Flight Literacy

Flight Training Educational Materials

  • Home
  • Basic Flight Training
    • Basic Aircraft Flight
    • Aeronautical Knowledge
    • Airplane Ownership – General Aviation Information
  • Advanced Flight Training
    • Instrument Flight Rules
    • Instrument Procedures
    • Flight Navigation
    • Aircraft Weight and Balance
    • Advanced Avionics
    • Risk Management
    • Aviation Instructor Training
    • Glider Flying
    • Weight-Shift Control Aircraft Flight
    • Helicopter Flight Training
    • Advisory Circulars
  • Training Aids
  • Tip Jar
You are here: Home / Instrument Flight Rules / Human Factors / Coping with Spatial Disorientation

Coping with Spatial Disorientation

Filed Under: Human Factors

To prevent illusions and their potentially disastrous consequences, pilots can:

  1. Understand the causes of these illusions and remain constantly alert for them. Take the opportunity to understand and then experience spatial disorientation illusions in a device, such as a Barany chair, a Vertigon, or a Virtual Reality Spatial Disorientation Demonstrator.
  2. Always obtain and understand preflight weather briefings.
  3. Before flying in marginal visibility (less than 3 miles) or where a visible horizon is not evident such as flight over open water during the night, obtain training and maintain proficiency in airplane control by reference to instruments.
  4. Do not continue flight into adverse weather conditions or into dusk or darkness unless proficient in the use of flight instruments. If intending to fly at night, maintain night-flight currency and proficiency. Include crosscountry and local operations at various airfields.
  5. Ensure that when outside visual references are used, they are reliable, fixed points on the Earth’s surface.
  6. Avoid sudden head movement, particularly during takeoffs, turns, and approaches to landing.
  7. Be physically tuned for flight into reduced visibility. Ensure proper rest, adequate diet, and, if flying at night, allow for night adaptation. Remember that illness, medication, alcohol, fatigue, sleep loss, and mild hypoxia are likely to increase susceptibility to spatial disorientation.
  8. Most importantly, become proficient in the use of flight instruments and rely upon them. Trust the instruments and disregard your sensory perceptions.

The sensations that lead to illusions during instrument flight conditions are normal perceptions experienced by pilots. These undesirable sensations cannot be completely prevented, but through training and awareness, pilots can ignore or suppress them by developing absolute reliance on the flight instruments. As pilots gain proficiency in instrument flying, they become less susceptible to these illusions and their effects.

Flight Literacy Recommends

Rod Machado's Instrument Pilot's Handbook -Flight Literacy recommends Rod Machado's products because he takes what is normally dry and tedious and transforms it with his characteristic humor, helping to keep you engaged and to retain the information longer. (see all of Rod Machado's Products).

-->

Primary Sidebar

SEARCH FLIGHT LITERACY

Basic Flight Training

Basic Aircraft Flight
Aeronautical Knowledge
Airplane Ownership - General Aviation
Training Aids

Advanced Flight Training

Instrument Flight Rules
Instrument Procedures
Flight Navigation
Aircraft Weight and Balance
Advanced Avionics
Risk Management
Aviation Instructor Training
Glider Flying
Weight-Shift-Control Aircraft
Helicopter Flight Training
Aircraft Mechanic (flight-mechanic.com)

Contact Us | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use
Easy Campfire Recipes | Recipe Workbook


Please help support our work
HIT THE TIP JAR

Copyright © 2022 FlightLiteracy.com




.